Gregg Williams won’t tolerate “loafers”

Posted by Darin Gantt on August 22, 2013, 10:19 AM EDT

AP

The Titans already had a defensive coordinator when they hired Gregg Williams.

But they’re hoping he adds the same kind of aggressiveness to the defense as in his previous stops. Williams has tried to keep a low profile since joining the Titans, but said Wednesday his priority is keeping his players properly motivated.

“The thing I won’t ever compromise on, or otherwise I’ll retire, is effort and toughness. So there is no excuse for a loaf in this league,” Williams said, via Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. “That is what this game is about, and players don’t want to play with someone who doesn’t get that, and coaches don’t want to coach them. That is one of the things that bothers me, if a guy is not 100 percent all the time when he plays this game, and a lack of toughness.”

The idea that his bounty suspension might have softened him isn’t rooted in reality, and players said his message of accountability and effort has been received.

“He is keeping charts of every man, and he is telling the whole defense who is loafing and who is not,” veteran safety Bernard Pollard said. “He has brought accountability. He is always making sure every man is being accountable to the man next to him, in front of him and behind him. And that is definitely needed.”

While Jerry Gray is the coordinator, Williams’ stamp on the Titans defense is already clear, and will be required to change a defense which allowed a franchise record 471 points last season.

26 responses to “Gregg Williams won’t tolerate “loafers””

Players went on to describe how he kept them motivated by offering incentives for big hits, sacks, interceptions, and fumble recoveries. See, there is a pool that all of the players contribute money into and then it is paid out at the end of each week. It really goes a long way towards preventing loafing around and gets the guys flying.

“Kill the head and the body will die” is an ancient saying, not inveted by Williams. It does not and did not literally mean “hurt someones head” as some of the less educated poster’s (and some writers) infer. That said, there is no doubt the bounty program existed.

” … to change a defense which allowed a franchise record 471 points last season.”
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Yet held Roethlisberger to 23 points in a 26-23 Titans win. And this was BEFORE Roethlisberger got injured and was supposedly “good.”